[Mid-term Plan Key Point] ② Introduction of Joint Stars?

Successful Missile Launch in Speed Race Called 'North Korean Iskander'
Real-Time Surveillance Fully Possible Targeting Ground Objectives

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The Ministry of National Defense announced that it will initiate the Joint Moving Target Surveillance and Control Aircraft project through the mid-term plan. This means that joint moving target surveillance and control aircraft, similar to the strategic reconnaissance asset Joint STARS, will also be introduced.

On the 10th, the Ministry of National Defense announced that it has established the 2021-2025 Defense Mid-term Plan, which includes military force construction and operation plans for the next five years. The budget allocated by the Ministry of National Defense for this mid-term plan is 300.7 trillion won, with 100.1 trillion won allocated to defense capability improvement to enhance advanced forces against all-around security threats, and 200.6 trillion won allocated for power operation costs for defense operations.

Unlike the Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft (AWACS), which mainly detects airborne targets such as aircraft, the Joint Moving Target Surveillance and Control Aircraft primarily targets ground targets. With North Korea's successful test launch of a new short-range missile called the "North Korean version of Iskander," the introduction of forces to monitor this is expected to accelerate.

When the project proceeds, Northrop Grumman's E-8C and Raytheon's ISTAR-K expected to compete

The representative of the Joint Moving Target Surveillance and Control Aircraft is the U.S. 'Joint STARS.' When President Donald Trump visited Korea in November 2017, President Moon Jae-in mentioned the introduction of strategic reconnaissance assets and referred to the Joint Moving Target Surveillance and Control Aircraft, making 'Joint STARS' the 'top priority for introduction.' It was also included under the name 'Joint Moving Target Surveillance and Control Aircraft' in the '2019-2023 Defense Mid-term Plan.'

Joint STARS is a high-performance ground surveillance reconnaissance aircraft capable of detecting and tracking 600 to 1,000 ground targets such as vehicles, bases, and missile launchers within a range of 200 to 500 km. It can clearly observe North Korean military movements, including missile transporter-erector-launchers (TEL) and multiple rocket launchers, in the area south of the Pyongyang-Wonsan line near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Joint STARS was developed by Northrop Grumman in the U.S. by modifying a Boeing 707 passenger aircraft. The U.S. military owns 18 units and has deployed Joint STARS in real combat situations such as the Gulf War, Iraq War, and Afghanistan War.

If the South Korean military proceeds with the introduction of the Joint Moving Target Surveillance and Control Aircraft in preparation for the wartime operational control (OPCON) transition, the number of units introduced is expected to be four. The budget alone is estimated at 1 to 2 trillion won. Northrop Grumman's E-8C is the most likely candidate, but production has been halted since 2005. Raytheon of the U.S. may also propose the ISTAR-K, an upgraded version of the British Army's Sentinel R1 reconnaissance aircraft.